基于對貴州(盤縣、興義、關嶺)、雲南(羅平)、安徽(巢湖、無為)、江蘇(南京龍潭)以及湖北(南漳)等地三疊紀地層和化石的詳細調研、采集和發掘,對三疊紀海生爬行動物群賦存地層、多樣性組成面貌和演變、全球對比及古環境背景開展以我為主的國際合作研究,并涉及塔裡木古生代地層研究。以第一作者研究命名了多個魚龍類、鳍龍類等的新屬種,進行分支譜系分析,并重新系統描述長頸龍類、巨胫龍類等,豐富了對三疊紀海生爬行動物多樣性和演化的認識;讨論鳍龍類貴州龍的種内形态變化、個體生長和性雙型;讨論魚龍類巢湖龍等捕食方式、胎生起源等;提出中三疊世華南具有強烈的西特提斯生物地理親緣性,但也與南方岡瓦納區存在一定聯系;讨論盤縣動物群和興義動物群等的微演變序列和古環境背景,認為是生物輻射的實證;探讨海生爬行動物分異發展和絕滅與全球海平面變化之間的聯系。
論文分别發表在本學科國際權威學術期刊 Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology(美國)、Journal of Paleontology(美國)、Palaeontology(英國)、Nature(英國)、PloS One(美國)、Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie(德國)等。代表性論文有:
1、Motani, R., D.-y. Jiang* (corresponding), G. Chen, A. Tintori, O. Rieppel, C. Ji, and J. Huang. 2015. A transitional ichthyosauriform with short snout from the Lower Triassic of China. Nature 517:485-488. (20141105 available online: doi:10.1038/nature13866).
2、Jiang, D.-y., R. Motani, A. Tintori, O. Rieppel, G. Chen, J. Huang, R.Zhang, Z. Sun and C. Ji. 2014. Early Triassic eosauropterygian Majiashanosaurus discocoracoidis, gen. et sp. nov. (Reptilia,
Sauropterygia) from Chaohu, Anhui Province, China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34:1044-1052.
3、Motani, R., D.-y. Jiang* (corresponding), A. Tintori, O. Rieppel, and G. Chen. 2014. Terrestrial origin of viviparity in Mesozoic marine reptiles indicated by Early Triassic embryonic fossils. PLoS ONE 9:e8B640.
4、Jiang D.-y., Rieppel O., Fraser N. C., R. Motani, W. Hao, A. Tintori, Y. Sun, and Z. Sun. 2011. New information on the Protorosaurian reptile Macrocnemus fuyuanensis Li et al., 2007 from the Middle/Upper Triassic of Yunnan, China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31(6):1230-1237.
5、Jiang D.-y., R. Motani, Hao W., O. Rieppel., Sun Y., A. Tintori, Sun Z. and L. Schmitz. 2009. Biodiversity and sequence of the Middle Triassic Panxian Marine Reptile Fauna, Guizhou Province, China. Acta Geologica Sinica 83:451-459
6、Jiang, D.-y., O. Rieppel., R. Motani, W. Hao, Y. Sun, L. Schmitz, and Z. Sun. 2008. A new Middle Triassic sauropterygian from Southwestern China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 (4).
7、Jiang, D.-y., R. Motani, O. Rieppel, L. Schmitz, W. Hao, Y. Sun, and Z. Sun. 2008. First record of Placodontoidea (Reptilia, Sauropterygia, Placodontia) from the Eastern Tethys. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28:904-908.
8、Jiang, D.-y., R. Motani, L. Schmitz, O. Rieppel, W. Hao, Y. Sun, and Z. Sun. 2008. New primitive ichthyosaurian (Reptilia, Diapsida) from the Middle Triassic of Panxian (Guizhou, southwestern China) and its position in the Triassic Biotic Recovery. Progress on Natural Science 18:1315-1319.. [In English and Chinese]
9、Jiang, D.-y., L. Schmitz, R. Motani, W. Hao and Y. Sun. 2007. The mixosaurid ichthyosaur Phalarodon cf. P. fraasi from the Middle Triassic of Guizhou Province, China. Journal of Paleontology 84:602-605.
10、Jiang, D.-y., R. Motani, C. Li, W. Hao, Y. Sun, Z, Sun and L. Schmitz. 2005. Guanling Biota: A marker of Triassic biotic recovery from the end-Permian extinction in the ancient Guizhou Sea. Acta Geologica Sinica—English Edition 79:729-738.